1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to gaming devices. More particularly, the present invention relates to progressive bonus gaming devices.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A progressive gaming device awards an incrementally varying payout, based on a percentage of total game play among several players, upon a game win. Prior art progressive gaming devices usually include a series of slot machines, interconnected to report coin drop and game win information to an accumulator/display driver. The accumulator receives information and correspondingly increments a single payout line progressive bonus until a win occurs.
The incrementing value of the progressive bonus is displayed on a large central display or on a number of remotely located displays. The displays, however, are not part of the individual gaming machines but, rather, are part of the accumulator. After a win, the accumulator resets itself (or is manually reset by an attendant) and begins incrementing again according to the game played.
A win is noted by a casino personnel and payed to the winning party. For example, if a winning party were to obtain all sevens on a slot machine, the progressive bonus would be given to the winning person. Such prior art progressive bonuses typically assign 1-2 percent of each coin placed in the machine to the progressive value.
Because an infrequent payout, such as all 7's, is a win on the progressive, there are payouts only every couple-to-few months. If a payout has occurred recently, there is very little incentive for players to compete to win the progressive bonus because they erroneously perceive an historical probability that another payout will not occur for some time.